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The Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 1 January 2012 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Crafts Shelf Business Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Self-Help Shelf Computer Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Military Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Education Shelf Music Shelf Sports Shelf
Biography Shelf Political Science Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Science Shelf World History Shelf Art Shelf
Architecture Shelf Technology Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Interior Design Shelf
Gardening Shelf Travel Shelf Photography Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fiction Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Women's Studies Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Gaming Shelf Journalism Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Five Chiefs
John Paul Stevens
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780316199803, $24.99, www.littlebrown.com

FIVE CHIEFS: A SUPREME COURT MEMOIR offers a fine survey of Justice Steven's decades on the Supreme Court. He was the third longest-serving justice in American history, and here provides both a history of significant cases and people with insights on the works and approaches of different chief justices over the decades. Any collection strong in political and legal system insights will find this a winning memoir.

The Cult of Lego
John Baichtal and Joe Meno
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593273910, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

The Cult of Lego provides a fine coffee table guide and offers a fun illustrated survey of the LEGO community and its creations. Discussions of fans and builders from all walks of life accompany photos of amazing LEGO creations, from a life-sized Stegosaurus to a robotic, giant chess set. Color pages packed with pictures and facts don't hold project directions but do hold plenty of LEGO history and insights, and any crafts collection will find it a fine and popular addition to a LEGO project guide.

GAAP 2012
Steven M. Bragg
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470923962, $99.99, www.wiley.com

GAAP 2012 is a fine pick for accounting collections and offers an in-depth survey of the basic accounting principles covered in the GAAP exam. This surveys the single set of codified GAAP and provides complete coverage of its many levels, surveying its applications using real-world examples and illustrations. If only one guide to the GAAP was to be selected, it should be this!

Death and Oil
Brad Matsen
Pantheon Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307378811, $25.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

DEATH AND OIL: A TRUE STORY OF THE PIPER ALPHA DISASTER ON THE NORTH SEA is the first account of the oil rig disaster that began in 1988, when explosions created an inferno that burned for weeks and killed 162 men. The author spoke with survivors and their families, rescue teams, and other witnesses to investigate the disaster, and DEATH AND OIL is the result, analyzing the disaster's roots and lasting effects. High drama and many insights keep this riveting for any general-interest reader.

Suicide of a Superpower
Patrick J. Buchanan
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
9780312579975, $27.99, www.thomasdunnebooks.com

SUICIDE OF A SUPERPOWER: WILL AMERICA SURVIVE TO 2025 offers a fine survey of new politics and America's accelerating decline in the 21st century. This breakdown is attributed to three historic changes; the waning of Christianity, the moral and social collapse that has followed, and the coming death of the white tribe of the Founding Fathers that created the nation. Modern America is loaded with debt and toxic politics: this documents a dangerous drive for equality over freedom and the increasing splintering of all levels of American society, and is a powerful documentation of the areas where America is failing. Political and social issues collections alike must have this!

How Carrots Won the Trojan War
Rebecca Rupp
Storey
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429689, $14.95, www.storey.com

How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables covers the legends and traditions associated with over twenty popular vegetables, pairing history with food lore in a fun survey that includes such trivia facts as how the beet got its name, a 1600s court obsession with green pea eating, and the rise and fall of the melon in Europe. Fun, whimsical stories make for education and entertaining reading!

Science Ink
Carl Zimmer and Mary Roach
Sterling Publishing
397 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
9781402783609, $24.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed comes from a science journalist who used his blog to ask his fellow scientists and science enthusiasts about their unusual science tattoos. He received a stream of tattoo images along with personal stories about the designs - and SCIENCE INK showcases over 300 tattoos from different science disciplines. Each tattoo example is used as a starting point for discussion, exploring the science behind the image and the observations and passions of science lovers around the world. General interest, arts and science holdings alike will find this enlightening.

Advanced Thai Yoga Massage
Kam Thye Chow
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774270, $24.95, www.innertraditions.com

Advanced Thai Yoga Massage comes from one of the first Thai yoga practitioners in North America who has taught Thai massage in Asia and the U.S. alike. Here he provides step-by-step photos for over 50 advanced Thai yoga massage postures, offers color illustrations of sen lines, and links massage techniques to particular ailments. Each treatment plan offers a customized one-hour Thai yoga massage posture flow in this outstanding choice for any healing or new age collection.


The Crafts Shelf

Creative Chain Mail Jewelry
Compiled by Erica Swanson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164216, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Creative Chain Mail Jewelry offers a range of projects for any jewelry worker used to jump rings, and features nearly thirty projects from the pages of Art Jewelry and Bead&Button magazines. Here are weaves from around the world, step-by-step photos supporting their creations, and fine photography and illustrations leaving nothing to question. A fine pick for any jewelry-making holding!

Goldwork
Hazel Everett
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844486267, $29.95, www.searchpress.com

GOLDWORK: TECHNIQUES, PROJECTS AND PURE INSPIRATION comes from a fine goldwork embroiderer who uses traditional methods in modern project for amazing results. Step-by-step surveys of her coverage and techniques include color photos throughout and examples of the author's own work. Embroiders and textile artists receive a range of projects, from jewelry and decorated boxes to pillows and three-dimensional insects. Needleworkers and general crafts collections must have this unique survey, which is reviewed in this category for its wider interest to crafters.

Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachstore.com

Beads&Button Magazine Publishers' STITCH WORKSHOP: RIGHT-ANGLE WEAVE (9780871164551, $17.95) provides an outstanding guide for beginners especially, surveying the craft of right-angle weave and how it can be used in various projects. The projects presented are all packed with color photos, arranged by difficulty level for step-by-step learning, and come with complete materials lists to make for a highly recommended crafts project acquisition. Cindy Thomas Pankopf's MAKING METAL CLAY JEWELRY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET STARTED (9780871164315, $21.95) provides a fine key to understanding what metal clay is and how to work with it. From supplies and tools to techniques and some 20 jewelry projects for all skills levels, this shows how to create all kinds of projects from stone-setting to forming. The many step-by-step color photo embellishments makes instruction a snap! Those who would embark try their hand at model railroading will find no better starting place than Jeff Wilson's INTRODUCTION TO MODEL RAILROADING (9780890247921, $19.95). It tells how to begin a scale model railroading project, reviewing the hobby as a whole and offering keys to getting started, from planning a layout to building scenery and structures. The keys to selecting locomotives and creating track and layout are specific and easy and will lend to the first-timer's interest and pleasure. Also recommended for this audience is Tony Koester's MODEL RAILROADING FROM PROTOTYPE TO LAYOUT: HOW TO USE FULL-SIZE RAILROADS FOR INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION (9780890247976, $21.95). It tells how to build a model railroad based on real railroads, from selecting a prototype to model to using basic prototype principles in the entire process. James K. Wechsler's BUILDING AND DETAILING REALISTIC SHERMAN TANKS (9780890247891, $21.95) provides a guide to modeling the Sherman tank and reviews nearly 50 Sherman tank models as it provides hobbyists with a progressive survey of construction projects. From handling tracks and guns to 48 models, this surveys gun tanks from around the world and teaches how to incorporate them into a hobby scenario.

Steampunk Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos
Thomas Willeford
McGraw-Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of Americas, 45th Floor, New York NY
0071762361, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Steampunk Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos offers a color guide focusing on the author's own secrets of making Steampunk gadgets, and is packed with DIY projects not to be found elsewhere, as it offers his own unique devices that can be produced on a budget. 'Lord Featherstone' shares his skills, tools, and techniques for producing everything from calibrated gauges and field generators to an armored pith helmet. Any crafter interested in producing steampunk 'artifacts' for fairs and events or personal use will find this the 'crafts bible' of steampunk, adding a different dimension to any crafts library.


The Business Shelf

Emotional Branding
Marc Gobe
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York, NY 10010
9781581156720, $19.95, www.allworth.com

Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People appears in a revised, updated edition to provide new insights on connecting brands to new generations through the web and social media's powers. An extensive update was required for the original popular concept because of the emergence of consumer empowerment tools which hardly existed when the book was first published in 2001. The book invented the term and concept and sparked the interest of new generations of brand strategists and designers, changing businesses and marketing objectives and approaches alike: this latest edition will do the same and should be in every business holding!

Zero to 100,000
Sarah-Jayne Gratton & Dean Anthony Gratton
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789748002, $19.99, www.quepublishing.com

Zero to 100,000: Social Media Tips and Tricks for Small Business provides a fine marketing guide that offers details and examples for finding 100,000 new friends and customers using social media. It provides a low-cost social media plan for finding and connecting with them, with chapters surveying connections between communities and building an effective online presence. Any business involved in social media networking needs this!

The Ad-Free Brand
Chris Grams
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789748029, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

THE AD-FREE BRAND: SECRETS TO BUILDING SUCCESSFUL BRANDS IN A DIGITAL WORLD is not just for computer collections but for any business library strong in web marketing. It draws on the author's experience helping build Red Hat's global brand and offers a host of modern digital strategies and tools to provide new ways to communicate and spread the word about a brand. The sections on avoiding common mistakes and the step-by-step guide to the entire brand positioning process make this a winning survey of how to develop, prototype, and solidify a brand position.

Free Marketing
Jim Cockrum
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118034712, $24.95, www.wiley.com

FREE MARKETING: 101 LOW AND NO-COST WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE & OFF provides over 100 marketing ideas for small business owners on a budget, and deserves a spot in any business collection. It uses a range of techniques, from creating compelling content to attract customers to creating marketing videos, using eBay for publicity, and understanding and making the most of smart phone trends. A 'must' for any serious small business.

Effective Time Management
Lothar Seiwert and Holger Woeltje
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735660045, $29.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT: USING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK TO ORGANIZE YOUR WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE could have been featured in our Computer Shelf section but is reviewed here for its wider-ranging importance to business applications. It goes beyond the basics of organizing email and tells how to apply Outlook filters to manage tasks, how to plan personal and worklife, and using Outlook with Microsoft OneNote to set goals. Businesses will find this packed with real-world examples for applications!

Decision Management Systems
James Taylor
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132884380, $29.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com

DECISION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO USING BUSINESS RULES AND PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS provides a fine guide to blending operational and analytic approaches to create business systems that are more agile and adaptive. Case studies tell how to combine techniques to improve customer experiences and reduce fraud, offering insights on the entire Decision Management System process and how it can transform business setup. From implementing decision services to monitoring them, this is a top pick for any business holding.

Business for Aspies
Ashley Stanford
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St #400, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781849058452, $19.95, www.jkp.com

Business for Aspies: 42 Best Practices for Using Asperger Syndrome Traits at Work Successfully could have been reviewed in our Health Shelf section, but is featured here for its fine focus on current business practices and how Asperger individuals can use their strengths in the workplace. Chapters survey how Asperger traits operate in a typical workplace, offering keys to many challenges from pay raises to team meetings and career advancements. A powerful pick for any Asperger adult who wants details on how to handle the working world - and for employers who hire them - makes this a dual recommendation for business and health collections alike.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Silver Spoon New Edition
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780714862569, $49.95, www.phaidon.com

The Silver Spoon New Edition offers an outstanding update of the most successful Italian cookbook in decades, packing in over 2,000 recipes compiled from different Italian regions by gourmet experts. This new edition updates recipes, adds 400 new photos and new recipes from chefs, and provides new basic information on how to set an Italian table, different foods of different regions, and chef's menus. A 'must' for any collection strong in definitive and exhaustive Italian cookbooks.

Eleven Madison Park
Daniel Humm and Will Guidara
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316098519, $50.00, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook packs in seasonal dishes to accompany the story of the popular restaurant's rise, and pairs lovely color photos by Francesco Tonelli with dishes that can easily be duplicated at home. From an illustrated timeline of the restaurant and a map of its layout to job descriptions of the staff and recipes created by the team, ELEVEN MADISON PARK offers fresh ingredients and flavors for home cooks willing to handle foi gras, black truffles and other gourmet ingredients. Any collection catering to gourmets needs this!

The Intolerant Gourmet
Barbara Kafka
Artisan
225 Varick St., New York NY 10014-4381
9781579653941, $29.95, www.artisanbooks.com

THE INTOLERANT GOURMET: GLORIOUS FOOD WITHOUT GLUTEN & LACTOSE is more than another baking book: it provides a range of recipes that tell how to produce crispiness without breading or four coatings, creaminess without dairy, and more, and comes from an award-winning American food expert. Chapters pack in over 300 original recipes for all meals - not just baked goods - and offer the rare pleasure of addressing gluten and lactose intolerance under one cover. Recipes for the entire family accompany photos and fine culinary insights suitable for any general lending library.

Vegan Holiday Kitchen
Nava Atlas
Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
9781402780059, $24.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

VEGAN HOLIDAY KITCHEN provides a fine cookbook that arrived too late for the holidays but is still worthy of acquisition by any interested in Vegan cuisine. Over 200 recipes for all occasions are profiled in a gathering that covers not just Christmas but Thanksgiving, Hannukah and more. From Cashew Chocolate Mousse Pie to Vegetable Pot Pie, these dishes are packed with flavor and color!

400 Calorie Fix Cookbook
Liz Vaccariello, et al.
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781605293288, $27.99, www.rodale.com

The collaborative work of Liz Vaccariello with Mindy Hermann, RD and the Prevention magazine editors, 400 Calorie Fix Cookbook: 400 All-New, Simply Satisfying Meals teaches how to make better nutrition decisions and offers a range of details on these choices. It teaches what proteins go best with which fruits and veggies, provides classic recipes lightened up such as New England Lobster Roll or Middle Eastern Pitza, and is packed with appealing dishes dieters will love and the entire family can eat. A fine dieter's delight, this will be an attraction in any lending library.

Pasta By Design
George L. Legendre
Thames and Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500515808, $29.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Pasta By Design provides a fine blend of culinary and art survey offering photos of the hidden mathematical beauty of pasta's geometric shapes. Over ninety forms of pasta are displayed through commissioned photos that accompany math descriptions of shapes and drawings that focus on the special attributes of various forms of pasta. Culinary advice on cooking these forms accompany an artistic presentation suitable for arts and culinary holdings alike.

Running Press
2300 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19103
www.runningpress.com

Zach Golden's WHAT THE F*@# SHOULD I MAKE FOR DINNER?: THE ANSWERS TO LIFE'S EVERYDAY QUESTION (IN 50 F*@#ING RECIPES) (9780762441778, $15.00) offers hardcover spiral binding lending to lay-flat and shelving use and is a top pick from a Brooklyn man who was going broke from eating out, yet puzzled about cooking. He registered the domain WRFSIMFD hoping for easy recipe ideas, his website went viral, and two years later he offers the results: a cookbook for the kitchen-challenged, especially men. Some fifty recipes offer a wide range of dishes that sound complicated but are very easy - complete with explicative narration. Any cookbook collection catering to men will find this unusual and fun. CHOCLATIQUE: 150 SIMPLY ELEGANT DESSERTS by Ed Engoron with Mary Goodbody (9780762439645, $27.00) is an outstanding cookbook with a different; it promotes easily-made ganache as the basis for a range of chocolate desserts. The author's studies of chocolate cookery embraces world cuisines and this collection is based on just five chocolate ganaches that can be quickly made and kept in the fridge for months. It's more than just a collection of ganache recipes, too: the author's own innovations have produced Chocolate Salami, Chocolate Dumplings, and more!

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Better Homes & Gardens' VERY MERRY COOKIES (9781118016039, $19.99) is intended as a make-and-give holiday title but missed our holiday section: that doesn't mean it doesn't serve attention as a year-round addition to any general lending library. It offers easily-followed recipes for all kinds of bars, drop cookies, and more, is packed with color photos, and provides baking tips that assure perfect results. It's a top pick for any holiday baker who wants to give cookies as gifts. Better Homes & Gardens' DIABETIC LIVING DIABETES WHAT TO EAT (9781118006894, $24.99) offers simple recipes and details on what people with diabetes can consume. Color photos, a spiral-bound book with tabbed recipe sections, nutrition for each dish and tips on cooking smart make this a winning survey of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack dishes. The inclusion of slow-cooker recipes, drinks and desserts with plenty of practical advice makes this a top pick suitable for any collection catering to diabetics and their special needs. Jackie Mills, RD's 1,000 DIABETES RECIPES (9780470407448, $35.00) is packed with recipes for the entire family and provides the latest in the 1,000 Recipes series. These dishes cover all kinds of meals and accompany nutrition details and cooking tips with carb exchanges and all the keys to cooking for diabetics, from updated comfort foods and ethnic cuisines. Diabetics and those cooking for them will relish the variety! Janice Kollar's THE BUTCH BAKERY COOKBOOK (9780470930885, $19.99) offers an outstanding collection of cupcakes and packs in some thirty original recipes not to be found elsewhere. These aren't your usual sweets: they're made with bacon, pepper and more, and add a decidedly male touch to the cupcake idea. Of course there are plenty of innovative sweet cupcakes too - such as a coffee, Kahlua chocolate cupcake with coffee frosting. Any seeking truly innovative creations will relish these! Edward G. Leonard, CMC's MODERN BUFFETS: BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS (9780470484661) provides a fine guide to creating a modern buffet, and comes from a Certified Master Chef who outlines recipes, techniques and ideas suitable for commercial use. Aesthetics accompany practical keys to a successful buffet setup, covering many aspects of commercial production and pairing advice with over 150 photo examples. Students studying catering or buffet service will find this packed with important considerations for a buffet set-up's success!


The Self-Help Shelf

Change Anything
Kerry Patterson, et.al.
Business Plus
c/o Hachette Publishing Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9780446573917, $26.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

CHANGE ANYTHING; THE NEW SCIENCE OF PERSONAL SUCCESS charts six sources of influence that affect our daily decisions, explaining what they are and how they can be 'tweaked' to work in one's favor. This is more than another business guide: it shows how these influences will affect everything from business to personal life and relationships, and details findings from case studies of thousands who have used these techniques to identify and eliminate negative habits and responses. A 'must' for any who would consider vast changes.

Beyond Boundaries
Dr. John Townsend
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310330493, $24.99, www.zondervan.com

BEYOND BOUNDARIES: LEARNING TO TRUST AGAIN IN RELATIONSHIPS compliments a title BOUNDARIES that taught biblical guidelines for establishing healthy relationships. This guide tells how to move past relationship issues to experience love again, and comes from a relationship expert to considers why boundaries are important for intimacy and how to re-establish a boundary after it's been broken. Any collection strong in relationships needs this - spirituality as well as general holdings.

Giving 2.0
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9781118119402, $25.95, www.josseybass.com

GIVING 2.0: TRANSFORM YOUR GIVING AND OUR WORLD focuses on philanthropy: not that of big business, but of ordinary people. There are many new ways to give - via technology, collaboration and business pursuits - and GIVING 2.0 focuses on these new avenues for success, showing how individuals can move into proactive realms in their personal and business lives. It's based on the author's experience as a philanthropist and educator, and shares key strategies for making the most of giving. General and inspirational collections will find this an accessible, popular pick.


The Computer Shelf

Official Cert Guide: CCNA Voice 640-461
Jeremy Cioara, CCIE, and Michael Valentine
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
1587204177, $49.99, www.ciscopress.com

Official Cert Guide: CCNA Voice 640-461 provides a Cisco exam study guide for the CCNA Voice ICOMM exam. It comes from trainers and senior consultants who review concepts, material, and the basics of the test. Organized test preparation chapters cover all techniques, with quizzes opening each chapter and testing knowledge. CCNA VOICE deserves ongoing recognition as the item of choice for any exam taker.

Java Performance
Charlie Hunt & Binu John
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137142528, $59.99, www.informit.com/aw

Java Performance joins others in 'The Java Series' and teaches the latest Oracle and third-party tools for measuring performance in various hardware and operating system scenarios. It provides tried-and-tested tips and tricks, teaches how to construct experiments identifying maximum optimization and results, and covers all the basic of Java interactions with standard and multitiered applications and Web tasks. Any who want to use the Java Hotspot VM and Java applications to better efficiency will find this a 'must' addition to any serious Java programming collection.

Using Microsoft OneNote 2010
Michael C. Oldenburg
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789742926, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

Using Microsoft OneNote 2010 includes over 3 hours of video access online and teaches the basics of various tasks that can be achieved using OneNote. The step-by-step tutorials come with the free web edition and every USING book, making this book a top pick that reinforces its screen shots and examples with video tutorials and real-world applications. From using tables to organize to restoring notes from a backup, this is an outstanding series of practical lessons for any OneNote learner!

CEH Certified Ethical Hacker Exam Guide
Matt Walker
McGraw-Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of Americas, 45th Floor, New York NY
0071772294, $50.00, www.mhprofessional.com

CEH Certified Ethical Hacker Exam Guide comes from an IT security expert who covers the CEH exam and provides keys to improved test scores through coverage of objectives, practice exam questions, and detailed answers. It's designed to help users pass the exam with ease and considers everything from Trojans and viruses to wireless hacking and penetrating testing. Its information goes beyond exam-takers however: any IT professional interested in computer security will find it of interest, packed with keys to understanding different approaches to security.

Sams Teach Yourself Java in 24 Hours
Rogers Cadenhead
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0672335751, $34.99, www.informit.com/sams

Sams Teach Yourself Java in 24 Hours appears in its 6th updated edition offering 24 lessons of one hour or less in an easy step-by-step approach to Java applications. Color screenshots and examples accompany these instructions for visual impact, include quizzes and exercises at the end of each chapter to reinforce comprehension, and provide tips and tricks for making the most of Java. Any would-be Java programmer will find this a top choice for self-study and comprehension.

Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual
David Pogue
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449397494, $34.99, www.oreilly.com

Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual covers Mac OS X 10.7 and iCloud and is packed with details on Lion, an iPad Mac application. Over 250 new features are packed into discussions of all its features and shortcuts, offering plenty of details moving from the basics to advanced functions. From iCloud and Launchpad to The App Store, this covers all the basics powering OS X Lion and is a top recommendation for any Mac Lion user who wants to get the most out of the system in an easy manner!

MCPD Exam Ref: Exam 70-519
Tony Northrup
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735657267, $39.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

MCPD Exam Ref: Exam 70-519 is designed for experienced, MCTS-certified professionals who are ready to move to the next level of certification, and focuses on the critical-thinking design requirements for making this move to the MCPD level. From designing applications and tailoring user experiences to considering exam objectives and methods of testing, this is a 'must' for any who would take the exam and get the most from it!

A Bug Hunter's Diary
Tobias Klein
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593273859, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

A BUG HUNTER'S DIARY: A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH THE WILDS OF SOFTWARE SECURITY follows security expert Tobias Klein as he tracks down and exploits bugs in well-known software from Apple and other manufacturers. Even the Mac OS X kernel is not invulnerable to compromise: this book teaches techniques to identify bugs, shows how bugs are exploited, and shows how to develop code that verifies security flaws. Any computer IT pro involved in security needs this lively discourse packed with real-world examples!


The Social Issues Shelf

The Folly of Fools
Robert Trivers
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780465027552, $28.00, www.basicbooks.com

THE FOLLY OF FOOLS: THE LOGIC OF DECEIT AND SELF-DECEPTION IN HUMAN LIFE argues that self-deception evolved from overall deception as a device to lie to ourselves so our lies to others are more convincing and believable. We lie to others to help us survive. Nearly forty years of research into animal and human behavior and social psychology lends to a fine survey of the science of deceit suitable for psychology and social issues collections alike.

Humanize
Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789741121, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com

HUMANIZE: HOW PEOPLE-CENTRIC ORGANIZATIONS SUCCEED IN A SOCIAL WORLD goes beyond most books covering social media marketing approaches to consider how social media can affect the structure, management and approaches of organizations and societies. While the focus is on changing a business organization, this deserves a far wider audience in its discussions of how social media changes behavior, influences success, and affects humanity itself. College-level business and social issues collections will find the detailed discussion involving.

How
Dov Seidman
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118106372, $27.95, www.wiley.com

HOW: WHY HOW WE DO ANYTHING MEANS EVERYTHING appears in an updated, expanded edition with a new preface by its author and a new foreword by President Bill Clinton, and offers a call to action by individuals and organizations. Society has become hyper-connected and with it comes new behavioral requirements. HOW discusses these requirements, considering steps for how to reshape behavior, leadership, and values. The power of HOW is illustrated in case histories from countries and systems around the world, making this a top survey highly recommended for any social or political issues collection.

Toward a Better Life
Peter Morton Coan
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616143947, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

TOWARD A BETTER LIFE: AMERICA'S NEW IMMIGRANTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS - FROM ELLIS ISLAND TO THE PRESENT provides a fine oral history collecting the true stories of immigrants told in their own words, and spans over a hundred years of the American immigrant experience. The book is arranged by decades so readers can easily locate accounts of special interest, with the first part covering the Ellis Island era and the second part America's new immigrants up to modern times. A range of immigrant experiences makes this a winning presentation.


The Military Shelf

Westmoreland
Lewis Sorley
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003
9780547518268, $30.00, www.hmhpub.com

WESTMORELAND: THE GENERAL WHO LOST VIETNAM provides a fine memoir by a man who was First Captain of his West Point class, fought in World War II and Korea, and ultimately led the war effort in Vietnam. This memoir considers his life, why Vietnam was lost, how he failed in the situation - and why understanding Westmoreland is key to understanding events in Vietnam as a whole. Chapters survey his entire life, consider omissions in the general's own memoirs, and reveals the truth about his actions in Vietnam, making this a 'must' for any military collection strong in Vietnam history.

Seal Target Geronimo
Chuck Pfarrer
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9781250006356, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden is based on the author's in-depth research and discussions with his former colleagues and is the only account based on the experiences of the SEAL team involved in the assault. He explores how they studied bin Laden, details earlier SEAL missions, and tells the real story pinpointing major differences between White House accounts and reality. A powerful survey, this is a 'must' for any collection strong in terrorism analysis or military history.

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Gordon L. Rottman's VIETNAM GUN TRUCKS (9781849083553, $17.95) provides a fine survey of the 'gun trucks' that were one of the military's offensive strategies during the war, providing a close inspection of the trucks, their strategies, and concepts of using the trucks to support heavier weapons. From their development to their deployment, VIETNAM GUN TRUCKS provides an outstanding coverage recommended for any military collection strong in Vietnam history. Eric Hammel's ALWAYS FAITHFUL: U.S. MARINES IN WORLD WAR II COMBAT, THE 100 BEST PHOTOS (9781849085380, $40.00) comes from a military history author who has numerous books and articles to his name and who offers a visual and historical chronicle of Marines during World War II. The unique images herein provides a pictorial history, selecting the top 100 images from the author's private archives: so don't expect to see common images that appear widely elsewhere. It's a fine celebration for any Marine or World War II holding. Robert Jones' KNIGHT: THE WARRIOR AND WORLD OF CHIVALRY (9781849083126, $29.95) provides a detailed history of the knight and his chivalric code and role, using first-hand accounts from knights to accompany vivid accounts of battles and military strategies. It's a powerful guide that goes beyond military might to consider the codes that governed knights and their choices, and with its many illustrations is a top pick for any interested in knights and their history.


The Audiobook Shelf

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hachetteaudio.com

James Patterson's KILL ALEX CROSS (9781611139693, $39.98) features a fine dual narration by Andre Braugher and Zach Grenier, who bring to life another detective Alex Cross mystery. Here Alex is facing the kidnapping of the president's son and daughter - an impossible crime - and is being kept on the edges of the investigation by unknown forces. Add a danger to the DC water supply and you have a swift-paced plot that will captivate newcomers and old fans of the Alex Cross series. David Baldacci's ZERO DAY (9781607885764, $39.98) features a fine narration by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, who bring to life the story of a combat vet and military investigator whose new case involves a remote rural West Virginia town where a family has been slaughtered. Deceptions and shock make for a case nearly impossible to crack in this satisfying thriller, recommended for any general lending library.

Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

Condoleeza Rice's NO HIGHER HONOR (9780307966971, $60.00) is read by Condoleeza Rice herself and provides her memoir of Washington years, making it a top pick for audio collections strong in either politics or autobiography. It describes the events of 9/11, efforts to keep America safe, and offers new details of behind-the-scenes debates over policy and procedure. The specific insights into her role as crisis manager are particularly revealing and unique, making this more than a personal memoir as it documents affairs of diplomacy, warfare and world interactions. Highly recommended! Also a top pick is Diane Keaton's self-read THEN AGAIN (9780307934017, $35.00), which also appears as an unabridged audio and which provides a memoir about her mother and herself. Her mother kept over eighty journals in which she wrote about her life, and Diane sorted through them to provide a dual memoir of her experiences and those of her mom. A lovely tribute, this will appeal to any general lending library.


The Education Shelf

Math Exchanges
Kassia Omohundro Wedekind
Stenhouse Publishers
Box 11020, Portland, ME 04104-7020
9781571108265, $24.00, www.stenhouse.com

Math Exchanges: Guiding Young Mathematicians in Small Group Meetings presents the concept of small group instruction as a regular approach to teaching math, showing how 'math exchanges' can create short, small focused groups for maximum benefit. Math teachers receive keys to creating self-directed small groups and learn how such groups can be of maximum benefit within the overall classroom structure.

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwin.com

Dr. Matt McClure, et.al.'s GETTING IT RIGHT: ALIGNING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES FOR MEASURABLE STUDENT RESULTS (9781412982375, $29.95) is designed to help teachers, leaders and decision makers understand the basics of technology planning, showing how to address state and local standards and how to improve student test scores. From staff development to integrating technology with teaching and learning goals, GETTING IT RIGHT offers a key survey for any serious educator's collection. Richard E. Mayer's How Not to Be a Terrible School Board Member: Lessons for School Administrators and Board Members (9781412997935, $26.95) offers case studies and stories that describe real-world, typical behaviors of school board members and how they work against a positive collaborative result. Chapters reflect the author's observation of common mistakes he's seen in his own years as a board member, providing specific examples and keys to better interactions. A fine survey for any educator's reference library! Lee Ann Jung and Thomas R. Guskey's GRADING EXCEPTIONAL AND STRUGGLING LEARNERS (9781412988339, $25.00) is a pick for any teacher reference collection and offer keys to grading exceptional students fairly. This includes those with disabilities, English learners, and those involved in RTI. Chapters provide a basic framework for assigning accurate grades and teach a five-step standards-based grading model. A 'must' for any educator's library. Lee Crockett, Ian Jukes and Andrew Churches' LITERACY IS NOT ENOUGH: 21ST-CENTURY FLUENCIES FOR THE DIGITAL AGE (9781412987806, $34.95) identifies and explains in detail the skills sets involved in fluency, different types of modern digital fluencies, and how students can develop such fluency. From lesson plans to supplementing traditional curriculum and standards, this offers teachers tools for evaluating these fluencies and correcting deficiencies. Very highly recommended for any educator's collection! Gayle H. Gregory and Amy Burkman's DIFFERENTIATED LITERACY STRATEGIES FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS GRADES K-6 (9781412996488, $36.95) provides a fine survey of grade-specific literacy strategies for teachers, offering a focus on grades K-6. Proven tools for differentiating instruction provide keys to applying functional literacy, content-area literacy, technological literacy and innovative literacy. Over 100 planning models, rubrics, and checklists will delight teachers.


The Music Shelf

Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
www.voyageurpress.com

Chris Welch's CLAPTON: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY (9780760340462, $40.00) is a fine pick for any rock music collection and covers his entire career, from his work with the Yardbirds and Cream and his solo projects. He's been heavily influential for five decades, and this illustrated celebration packs in over 400 color photos, illustrations and memorabilia to accompany discussion of his life and career - including sidebars detailing his music gear. As a definitive Clapton guide, it's unparalleled and deserves a prominent place in any rock music collection. Paul Grushkin's DEAD LETTERS: THE VERY BEST GRATEFUL DEAD FAN MAIL (9780760338544, $29.99) provides a fine gathering of Dead memorabilia documenting the 'deadheads' who have dedicated their lives to the Grateful Dead. These were individuals addicted to the Dead music, going to great lengths to travel with the band and attend as many concerts as possible. Many ways they obtained tickets from going to the source - the Dead themselves - and writing for them - and this collects their letters and the personalized envelopes and artwork that indicated their passion. Any Grateful Dead fan will relish this!

Musical Cognition: A Science of Listening
Henkjan Honing
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842280, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

Musical Cognition: A Science of Listening suggests that music is milieu where cognitive functions of perception, memory and expectation are challenged, and where listeners play an active role in translating sound to meaningful emotions. In such a scenario listening goes beyond an audible series of reactions to an integration between physical and mental structures, and recent research in psychology and neuro-cognition provides more explicit connections than in the past. Examples reflect the latest research on rhythm, pitch, style and more.


The Sports Shelf

The Ecstasy of Defeat
The Onion
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401310721, $21.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

The Ecstasy of Defeat: Sports Reporting at its Finest by the Editors of The Onion provides a wide-ranging overview of the sports world and offers tongue-in-cheek reporting of events which are hilarious accounts perfect for sports fans and sports and humor collections alike. From an article on 'Pilgrims Depart for America to escape Horrible Oppression of Soccer' to 'Motocrosser Quits After Learning Physics' and 'NBC Analyst Mike Holmgren Crawls Under Desk After Seeing Own Shadow', these document moments of fictional fun and outrageous imitations of life.

Rider Fitness: Body & Brain
Eckart Meyners
Trafalgar Square Press
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05033
9781570764820, $29.95, www.trafalgarsquarepress.com

Rider Fitness: Body & Brain: 180 Anytime, Anywhere Exercises provides a fine series of exercises to enhance range of motion, motor control, balance and more, and is a 'must' for any horse rider who wants a series of exercises specifically geared to horses. Riders receive workout routines and warm-ups that can be done both on the ground and on horseback, and will welcome the color photos and clear step-by-step line drawings that leave nothing to imagination.

War Room
Michael Holley
IT Books
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780062082398, $25.99, www.youritlist.com

WAR ROOM: THE LEGACY OF BILL BELICHICK AND THE ART OF BUILDING THE PERFECT TEAM is for any collection strong in NFL football history and culture, and probes behind the scenes of three NFL teams and into the minds of Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, among others. Belichick has guided the Patriots to three Super Bowl wins and eight division titles: WAR ROOM documents the process of building the perfect team, going behind the scenes of three NFL teams to trace the career paths of three top coaches and their special winning strategies.

Flying Through the Clouds
Jim Russi
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310
9780764338618, $45.00, www.schifferbooks.com

Flying Through the Clouds captures, in full-page, full color, the surf photography of author Jim Russi, who has been photographing surfers for decades. Nearly two hundred images from around the world accompany text of stories of different surfing encounters. This powerful presentation captures action shots and provides insights on the sport of surfing as well, making it a pick for photography, arts and sports collections alike.

Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

Richard Ray and Jeff Konin's 4th updated edition of MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN ATHLETIC TRAINING (9780736077385, $74.00) provides a winning survey to help current and future athletic trainers handle common management issues. Case studies teach students theories of administration and how it affects professional training purposes, with this fourth revised edition providing extensive updates and new information emphasizing evidence-based medicine and advances in patient charting, cultural awareness, marketing sports medicine and more. Any collection strong in advanced sports medicine concerns must have this in-depth reference! Luis Columna and Lauren Lieberman's PROMOTING LANGUAGE THROUGH PHYSICAL EDUCATION: USING SIGN LANGUAGE AND SPANISH TO ENGAGE EVERYONE (9780736094511, $29.00) comes with a DVD-ROM with sign language and a Spanish video library, plus 27 reproducibles and offers tools to help teachers promote language development using games and activities for students from elementary grades through high school. These can be blended into regular physical education curricula and are key instructions for any physical education teacher's reference library. Jared W. Coburn and Moh H. Malek, Editors' NSCA'S ESSENTIALS OF PERSONAL TRAINING, 2ND EDITION (0736084150, $89.00) is a fine resource for personal training guidance and focuses on designing safe, goal-specific training programs for speed, strength, and more. Over 200 color photos accompany step-by-step technique instructions, offering readers keys to designing a specific exercise program for all ages and abilities. Over 120 chapter questions can help prepare for the NSCA exam for trainers.


The Biography Shelf

Running Away to Home
Jennifer Wilson
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312598952, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters provides the memoir of a travel writer who made the decision to leave home - and bring her family with her. Their family lived the typical American dream in Iowa - and their lives were rushed and filled with work and school. When they lost half their savings in the stock market crash, they packed up and left to visit her family homeland in the Croatian mountain village of Mrkopalj. Her memoir goes beyond a travel or food account to probe a different world and its values in a pick for travel, food or general memoir collections.

Sal Mineo
Michael Gregg Michaud
Three Rivers Press
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307716675, $16.00, www.threeriverspress.com

SAL MINEO: A BIOGRAPHY provides a fine survey of a creative actor who was murdered at the young age of thirty-seven. Candid interviews with Mineo's closest female and male lovers and new photos accompany a complete story of his life and interests, his rise to fame, and more, and make this a powerful and winning 'must'. The candid interviews succeed in providing a well-rounded portrait of Mineo and make for a biography that exceeds expectations. Film and biography holdings alike will appreciate the detailed focus!

Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story
Michael Seth Starr
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard
33 Plymouth St. Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781557837547, $27.99, www.halleonard.com

Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story is based on the author's interviews with dozens of Foxx's friends and colleagues and provides a well-rounded view of his rise to fame in comedy and television. It surveys his career and the TV show that both brought him to the heights of his career and ultimately ruined it, and provides a fine survey of his personality and many achievements. Entertainment, film and biography collections alike will relish this!


The Political Science Shelf

Crimes Against Liberty
David Limbaugh
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
1596986247, $29.95, www.regnery.com

Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama offers a documented case against Obama's presidency and appears in paperback with a new introduction offering close examination of Obama's politics and policies. It basically attacks his system and counters Obama's conventions. Any who would take a different look at Obama's policies will find this passionate, inflammatory and critical.

The Change I Believe In
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568586885, $16.99, www.nationbooks.org

The Change I Believe In: Fighting for Progress in the Age of Obama comes from The Nation's editor who considers how liberals should respond to the disappointments of the Obama administration and Republication extremism. She offers a collection of essays that flow from Obama's election and its exciting potential to changes in her perceptions in years after, considering what real change should look like and how it can be achieved. From politics to social issues, this traces the look and progress of change and is a pick for any political or social issues collection.

The Justice Cascade
Kathryn Sikkink
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393079937, $27.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Justice Cascade: How Human Rights Prosecutions are Changing World Politics tells of a general who in 1981 visited the U.S. and gave a speech rejecting the idea he could be judged for human rights violations committed as part of Argentina's military Junta. Four years later he was convicted for these crimes - and human rights trials have become a modern political tool that is changing global politics. The author's personal experience and research traces a worldwide movement from Germany to modern nations, considering the creation of the International Criminal Court and its cases. A range of college-level collections, from legal to political holdings and international civil liberties, will find this a solid piece of research.

Predicting the Unthinkable, Anticipating the Impossible
Georgie Anne Geyer
Transaction Press
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412814874, $39.95 www.transactionpub.com

Predicting the Unthinkable, Anticipating the Impossible: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to America in the New Century comes from an author who outlined the probability of the collapse of Communism - in the 1980s. Her travels and interviews with top officials anticipated the conflicts that were to come. Her assessment of events leading to 9/11 and her current observation that America's smaller wars have eroded its system lends to a fine guide that explains declines, considers human nature and political systems, and warns that world changes need to be better anticipated. PREDICTING THE UNTHINKABLE shows how - and is a pick for any college-level political and social studies holding.

Libertarianism, from A to Z
Jeffrey A. Miron
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465025077, $15.99, www.basicbooks.com

Libertarianism, from A to Z presents a case for libertarian policy conclusions and applies principles of these policies to a range of social and political issues, making this a fine addition to any political science library. Chapters clarify libertarian thinking by using existing and proposed government policy as a foundation for examination, considering general wide-ranging policies such as civil rights and gun control and more. A fine starting point for debate and illustration of libertarian thinking!

Disconnect
Morris P. Giorina with Samuel J. Abrams
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman OK 73069
9780806142289, $24.95, www.oupress.com

DISCONNECT: THE BREAKDOWN OF REPRESENTATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS analyzes the decline of the political center in American party politics and uses polling results and other data to consider the rift between politicians and citizens. Chapters consider the growing rift between America's leaders and its public, offering insights on paths for change along with a historical survey of how we arrived at this point. Political studies collections will find this perfect for debate and classroom discussion.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Me, My Cells, and I
Dave Ames
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591811732, $18.95, www.sentientpublications.com

ME, MY CELLS, AND I: A SURVIVOR'S SERIOUSLY FUNNY GUIDE TO THE SCIENCE OF CANCER comes from an author who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and who read hundreds of research papers, books, and consulted with ten doctors on the topic - all of which predicted a 20 percent survival rate. He tells here what worked for him, the science and health concerns of his treatments, and the various choices he made by considering treatment effects on his cells' ability to use oxygen.

Our Bodies, Ourselves
Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Touchstone
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
1439190666, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Our Bodies, Ourselves provides an updated edition to a title which has proved a 'bible' reference to women's health for over four decades, offering a 40th anniversary edition that has completely revised and updated all material. From changes in the healthcare system affecting women to environmental health risks, body image concerns from media stereotyping, and more, this offers key information about everything from birth control to gender identity and is a 'must' for any general library strong in women's health.

What Makes a Good Nurse
Derek Sellman
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781843109327, $34.95, www.jkp.com

WHAT MAKES A GOOD NURSE: WHY THE VIRTUES ARE IMPORTANT FOR NURSES considers nursing values and how they are being challenged by modern requirements of providing care. Helping individuals through the traumas of illness is difficult to quantify: this offers a case for re-establishing insights on the foundations of nursing and offers a survey of these values and how they play roles in nursing. Any nursing student and libraries catering to nursing professionals needs this!

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Joshua Cody's [SIC]: A MEMOIR (9780393081060, $24.95) is both a cancer memoir, a story of survival, and a funny and moving autobiography about the author's life and struggles. It provides facsimile pages of the personal journals that inspired his book, reflecting on the nature of a cancer diagnosis, its effects, treatments, and more. Literary allusion, health references, and a range of topics combine to provide an outstanding memoir highly recommended for any health and biography collection. Kevin T. Kalikow, MD's KIDS ON MEDS: UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOST COMMONLY PRESCRIBED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS (9780393706376, $27.95) is a recommendation for any serious psychology or psychotherapy collection and provides the latest details on commonly-prescribed psychiatric medications for kids. From ADHD to bipolar, this goes beyond most medication focuses on side effects and drug interactions to discuss the disorder symptoms, various clinical approaches, and common side effects rated by relative seriousness. From lab tests to indicators, this is much more accessible and in-depth than most covering the topic!

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder
Carolyn Costin & Gwen Schubert Grabb
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393706956, $19.95, www.wwnorton.com

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies form Therapeutic practice and Personal Experience represents a dual effort between a therapist and her former patient who offer a personal narrative of an eating disorder and full recovery from it. From clinical experience to the entire recovery process and therapy, 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder provides a winning survey and coincides with a nationwide film tour promoting the release of 'America the Beautiful II'. A positive 'must' for any collection strong in eating disorders.

Trauma
Dr. James Cole
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
031255222X, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

TRAUMA: MY LIFE AS AN EMERGENCY SURGEON offers a fine account of his life spent on the battlefield and in emergency rooms and charts incredible trauma room experiences from civilian and armed forces encounters alike. From a boy's attempted suicide by crossbow to a woman shot 30 times, this offers many insights on trauma room treatments and radical health issues and is a pick for any health collection.

The Power of Neurodiversity
Thomas Armstrong, PhD
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780738215242, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain provides evidence about the positive features of mental conditions traditionally viewed as negative, from bipolar disorder and depression to autism and ADHD. It charts the special powers that accompany these conditions, from creativity and entrepreneurial skills to other assets, and posits the need to use a new neurodiversity model to embrace both assets and problems in mental health and strengths. Employer, parents and other receive concrete strategies to making the most of a neurodiverse brain, from career options to assistive technologies. Any psychology holding needs this!

What Doesn't Kill Us
Stephen Joseph, PhD
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465019410, $26.99, www.basicbooks.com

What Doesn't Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth offers a new theory of trauma and shows how trauma can be a catalyst for positive change and growth, if treated properly. It comes from one who has made his career in 'positive psychology' - some twenty years of working with trauma survivors - and offers case histories of numerous people who have overcome trauma and made a difference in their lives. Any psychology holding or inspirational collection will find this filled with positive examples!


The Science Shelf

Mycophilia
Eugenia Bone
Rodale Press
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781605294070, $25.99, www.rodale.com

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms comes from a food writer who explores the mushroom as both a food ingredient and a health additive. It blends science, nature, memoir and culinary and health insights under one cover and also considers the world of fellow mycophiles and their fascination with mushrooms. From festivals around the world to the author's experiences with hallucinogenic mushrooms, this covers a range of mushroom insights and facts and makes for a lively survey perfect for a range of holdings, from science collections to those involved in gardening, nature or culinary exposes.

World in the Balance
Robert P. Crease
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393072983, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

WORLD IN THE BALANCE: THE HISTORIC QUEST FOR AN ABSOLUTE SYSTEM OF MEASUREMENT provides a fine history of metrology, the scientific study of measurement, and charts the rise of the metric system and its rise around the globe. From the meaning of measurement to the paradox of the metroscope, this offers a fine survey covering world measurement and its ongoing changes and uses. Science and general libraries will find this lively and appealing!

Drive and Curiosity
Istvan Hargittai
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst NY 14228-2197
9781616144685, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

DRIVE AND CURIOSITY: WHAT FUELS THE PASSION FOR SCIENCE examines the career of fifteen scientists who achieved some of the most notable discoveries of the last century. Dr. Hargittai was personally acquainted with all but two of them, and here provides a rich perspective on the history and progression of modern science based on their personalities and achievements. The focus actually reveals the underlying influences on their discoveries, from motivations to circumstances, and makes for an outstanding survey recommended for any college-level science history holding.


The World History Shelf

Pirate: The Golden Age
A. Konstam & D. Rickman
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849084970, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Pirate: The Golden Age is a fine choice for any collection strong in pirate accounts, and provides a narrowed survey of a decade in the early 18th century when piracy was at its height. The authors consider the myths surrounding piracy and present what pirate life and appearance was really like during this period of time, packing black and white and color illustrations into a lively coverage suitable for any collection where pirate history is of interest.

Armies of Heaven
Jay Rubenstein
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465019298, $29.99, www.basicbooks.com

ARMIES OF HEAVEN: THE FIRST CRUSADE AND THE QUEST FOR APOCALYPSE comes from a medieval historian whose research in European archives results in a new assessment of the motivations of the First Crusaders and their religious definitions and motivations. It considers the purposes and drives o religious warfare and draws important connections between the First Crusade and its underlying religious beliefs. All kinds of collections, from religious history to history holdings, will consider this scholarly assessment a fine contribution to the literature on the Crusades.


The Art Shelf

Art Deco Postcards
Patricia Bayer
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500238882, $27.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

ART DECO POSTCARDS provides a fine collection of postcards from the 1920s to the 40s, following the art deco movement's influence on apartment buildings, airports, and all kinds of structures. Well-known and celebrated buildings appear alongside lesser-known facades and interiors, with some postcards depicting structures no longer among us. A pop-out-and-keep facsimile section includes detachable reproductions of the cards. While this won't be a lending library's choice, it will be an item of choice for any artist with a passion for art deco style.

Typography Sketchbooks
Steven Heller and Lita Talarico
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781616890377, $55.00, www.papress.com

Typography is key to visual communication and this collection offers private sketchbooks from more than ninety leading designers and typographers to illustrate this point. Steven Heller and Lita Talarico select these letters for feature, which include works by Milton Glaser, Erik Spiekermann, Carlos Seguras, and more. The writings offer insights on typography as a whole and are intended for those interested in type choices and their effects on the message.

Celebrating the American Spirit
Christopher B. Crosman, et.al.
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953713, $60.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Celebrating the American Spirit: Masterworks from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is the first publication to document the Arkansas museum's holdings and is packed with full-page color illustrations of key pieces. The Museum is a powerful new art museum packed with masterpieces collected by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton. It places major works on exhibit in a small town - something that has raised a furor in the city-centered art world - and CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN SPIRIT is its inaugural exhibition. Any who can't visit in person will find this a treasure trove of American classic examples, well suited for any serious collection of American masterpieces!

Design by Nature
Maggie Macnab
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321747763, $44.99, www.newriders.com

Design by Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles in Design surveys nature and its creations and offers a design and computer-oriented connection between nature's designs and human efforts. It considers relationships between design and art, showing how to blend nature's patterns and shapes into design purposes and how to understand design elements and their interrelationships. Chapters offer black and white and color examples of these universal forms, cover everything from logo design to color, and make for an outstanding survey recommended for any designer's library.


The Architecture Shelf

Architecture and Violence
Bechir Kenzari, Editor
Actar D
c/o ActarBirkhauser Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10013
97884392861736, $29.95, www.actarbirkhauser.com

Architecture and Violence provides a fine survey of modern architectural theory and relationships between such architecture and violent events. It considers propaganda exhibitions, suburban residential complexes, concentration camps and more, offering a history of both physical structures and their connections to violence. Fine discussions of the social, political and artistic impact of architectural choices and design concepts make this a highly recommended, powerful recommendation for any college-level architectural collection.

Open Design Now
Bas Van Abel, et.al.
BIS Publishers
bis@bispublishers.nl
9789063692599, $39.00, www.bispublishers.nl

OPEN DESIGN NOW: WHY DESIGN CANNOT REMAIN EXCLUSIVE is the first in-depth treatment on open design and provides the tools to understand how open design offers new opportunities for professional designers. Articles on all aspects of open design are supported by case studies in a title covering everything from design literacy to participatory design and collaborative design effort.

Old Buildings, New Designs
Charles Bloszies
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003
9781616890353, $24.95, www.papress.com

Old Buildings, New Designs: Architectural Transformations features nineteen innovative case studies of built work by an international list of architects and reveals the issues of working with architecture involved in aging construction. From new aesthetics and blending new and old looks to environmental interventions to preserve buildings, this offers an intriguing survey of specific structures and their challenges and is a 'must' for any architecture collection.


The Technology Shelf

Monopulse Principles and Techniques, second edition
Samuel M. Sherman and David K. Barton
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood MA 02062
9781608071746, $109.00, www.artechhouse.com

The second updated edition of Monopulse Principles and Techniques comes from experts who offer technical details on the monopulse radar, which sends additional information within a radar signal to avoid problems in signal strength. It's resistant to jamming and is the most used radar system today: this updated, expanded edition compiles the latest monopulse radar principles, techniques and adds two new chapters on countermeasures and more. Engineering and radar-specific reference holdings will find this essential for newcomer and radar engineers alike.

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

Kenneth Y. Jo's SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK DESIGN AND ANALYSIS (9781608071944, $149.00) is a reference for engineers in the field and in school, and offers a review of the basic concepts of satellite communications, network design and more. Discussions of a class of SATCOM networks offers considerations of satellite components, operations, and entire systems, from GEO satellites to low Earth orbiting satellites. Chapters explain uses of such networks, differences between them, and offer keys to link analysis, processing, and different hardware configurations and options. Any engineering collection will welcome this study. Francisco Saez de Adana, et.al.'s PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF ASYMPTOTIC TECHNIQUES IN ELECTROMAGNETICS (1608070638, $129.00) focuses on the uniform theory of diffraction and physical optics and applies them to real-world problem solving. The guidelines thus are far more focused on practical applications than theory, offering a resource to professionals already working in the field who need to apply their knowledge of electromagnetics to specific issues. A fine reference for any college-level or professional's collection! Also recommended for such a holding is David B. Cruickshank's MICROWAVE MATERIALS FOR WIRELESS APPLICATIONS (1608070921, $99.00), a recourse offering engineers an in-depth survey of the use of microwave magnetic materials for wireless purposes. From radio links to wireless applications, this reference for professionals describes different attributes of families of magnetic materials and surveys insertion loss, intermodulation, and more. A fine reference for any professional electronics engineer. ADVANCED FDTD METHODS: PARALLELIZATION, ACCELERATION, AND ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS by Wenhua Yu, et.al. (9781608071760, $119.00) is a pick for college-level engineering collections and focuses on the engineering applications of FDTD simulation systems. The latest developments in the science of FDTD are covered in a detailed reference that packs in over 250 illustrations, 128 equations, and a host of data processing techniques key to FDTD methods.

CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide
Sven Laurik
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
007173919X, $70.00, www.mhprofessional.com

CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide covers all CTS exam objectives and teaches everything from developing a functional AV scope and marketing AV technologies to best practices, and comes packed with checklists, diagrams, practice exam questions, and more. It's designed to serve as both a job reference and a study guide, and is accompanied by a CD-ROM that offers one complete practice exam, am ebook and a bonus download exam. A 'must' for any taking the CTS exam!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knitting with Peruvian Yarns
Jane Ellison
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05033
9781570764769, $24.95, www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Knitting with Peruvian Yarns: 25 Soft Sweaters and Accessories in Alpaca, Llama, merino and Silk provides knitting directions for everything from sweaters and jackets to tunics and mittens, and is a pick for any knitter who would learn to work with Peruvian yarns. Patterns look complicated but are actually achievable by any who know how to knit. Over twenty original hand-knit projects aren't to be seen elsewhere.

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com

Kimberly Einmo's JELLY ROLL QUILT MAGIC (9781604600001, $26.95) offers some twelve projects using precuts or fabrics from a stash and offer streamlined cutting instructions, shopping lists, and plans for quickly using these precuts to maximum advantage. The focus is on creating different patterns and projects from these fabrics and projects: tips for success and a shipping schedule offer ideas on projects suitable for classes and individual use alike. Color photos of finished projects completes the presentation. Margie Engel's SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: MIXED TECHNIQUE QUILTS (9781604600087, $26.95) teaches the basics of mixing and assembling eight quilts using a pre-printed panel, blending applique with piecing, and offer large-scale fabrics and photos to make wall hangings, quilts, and more. Patterns, bright color photos and clear step-by-step directions make this a fine winner for any needleworker seeking to blend different quilting styles.

Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
www.larkcrafts.com

Linda P. Schapper's THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CROCHET STITCH DESIGNS (9781454701378, $17.95) presents a 'bible' of crochet stitches with 500 patterns covering all the basics of making lace, faux knitting, and more. Diagrams and close-up color photos teach these designs, which embrace both classic and original patterns, and include a handy pictorial index for quick reference to a stitch. The good-sized color photos of each stitch allows for quick comprehension of its applications and construction, making this a pick for any needlework collection appealing to crocheters at all levels. Cheryl Owen's THE BOOK OF BAGS (9781454703266, $18.95) teaches the basics of producing 30 bags, from clutches to daily purses and beach bags, and provides step-by-step easy projects. This includes close-ups of sewing machine stitching, folding and ironing edges, and embellishments. Any who would sew a bag for any purpose will find this packed with colorful examples and satisfyingly easy projects lending to even beginner success.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Other Face of God
Mary Jo Leddy
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759109, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

THE OTHER FACE OF GOD: WHEN THE STRANGER CALLS US HOME is from a woman who lives with refugees at Romero House, a temporary shelter in Toronto, and who presents her insights on Christ and the church. Examples of refugees who came through extraordinary circumstances to survive offer fine religious and spiritual connections between Christianity and social issues in this powerful survey for any Christian library.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Puppy Problems? No Problem!
Brenda Aloff
Dogwise Publishing
403 South Mission St., Wenatchee, WA 98801
9781617810510, $39.95, www.dogwisepublishing.com

Puppy Problems? No Problem comes with a companion DVD and provides a fine primer based on the author's 20 years of experience working with problem dogs as a professional pet behavior consultant. Dog training basics take each problem behavior pattern and how to adjust it using positive reinforcement and shared experiences. The accompanying DVD shows exactly how this is accomplished, making this a top pick for any holding strong in dog training options.

Canine Reproduction, third edition
Phyllis Holst, MS, DVM
Alpine Publications
38262 Linan Rd, Crawford, CO 81415
9781577791140, $24.95, www.alpinepub.com

The third updated edition of Canine Reproduction: The Breeder's Guide is a 'must have' for any dog breeder's collection. It represents a title hat has for over thirty years been an industry 'bible', now appearing in a more affordable softcover edition and featuring color photos and the latest vet research on dog reproduction. The author is a vet who is also a breeder: her background lends to an expert survey of breeding stock, timing, whelping, and illnesses and is a top reference.

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com

Wiley's veterinary titles are outstanding references for both vets and college-level student holdings and these latest publications are top recommendations. June A. Boon's VETERINARY ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (9780813823850, $149.99) appears in a fully revised second updated edition to provide an in-depth reference to the ultrasound of the heart. It comes from a leading expert in veterinary echocardiography and covers all the basics of obtaining and interpreting diagnostic echocardiograms in domestic species. This update includes new advances in mapping, imaging, and related technologies, making it a fine reference. Tobias Schwartz and Jimmy Saunders edit VETERINARY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (9780813817477, $149.99), an illustrated guide for practicing vets interested in incorporating computed tomography into their practices. Contributions by specialists from twelve countries offer a range of expert tips in the first title to describe the technology, methodology, interpretation principles and CT features of different diseases for most species. Blackwell's FIVE-MINUTE VETERINARY CONSULT: CANINE AND FELINE, 5TH EDITION (9780813807638, $99.99) by Larry P. Tilley and Francis W.K. Smith Jr. appears in a completely revised updated fifth edition to provide a quick reference on diseases of dogs and caps. Over 300 specialists cover over 800 specific disorders with new topics and revised topics keeping this a current A-Z vet's reference. All are top picks for practicing professionals and libraries catering to vet students.


The Interior Design Shelf

Shabby Chic
Rachel Ashwell
Cico Books
trade@macmillan.co.uk
9781907563591, $35.00, www.cicobooks.com

RACHEL ASHWELL SHABBY CHIC: INSPIRATIONS AND BEAUTIFUL SPACES provides home and garden holdings with a fine tour of the author's perspectives on interior design and style. Various locations across America and Eland offer examples of her interior designs and the style known as Shabby Chic, showcasing the results of two decades of design. The lovely displays offer variety and insights into the style and purposes of shabby chic.


The Gardening Shelf

The Resilient Gardener
Carol Deppe
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603580311, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times presents a fine survey including five crops most needed to survive, from potatoes and corn to beans and eggs. Unlike most guides it presents gardening techniques that take into account health problems, financial issues, and special dietary needs, consider climate change's effect on gardening, and tells how to garden with little to no irrigation and even with a bad back. Any general lending collection will find this a fine perspective!


The Travel Shelf

The Inca Trail, fourth edition
Alexander Stewart
Trailblazer Publications
info@trailbazer-guides.com
9781905864157, $22.95, www.trailblazer-guides.com

THE INCA TRAIL: CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU offers a wide range of treks in a revised fourth edition that includes a variety of hiking options from two days to three weeks. Some 40 hiking maps show times, camping places and places of interest while accompanying cultural insights, tips on restaurants and health, and keys to languages make this a powerful planner and take-along tote for any planning a hiking trip to the region.

Great Journeys
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781742205892, $39.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

GREAT JOURNEYS appears in an oversized hardcover - unusual for an independent travel guide publisher who primarily publishes take-along totes - and is a celebration of some 70 of the greatest world journeys. Each route includes reviews of the route past and present, includes shortcuts and detours, provides a bibliography for armchair reading, and comes packed with color photos and candid assessment of the route's special attractions. From Norway's fjords to sailing the Nile, this is packed with accounts that make you want to just pack up and go, and is a top pick for any travel collection.


The Photography Shelf

The Art of Photographic Lighting
Eib Eibelshaeuser
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952758, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

The Art of Photographic Lighting teaches how light and shadow can be used to compose photos, and offers a series of exercises and keys to a variety of lighting tools. From using light in classic paintings to directional lighting, this provides discussion of all kinds of light properties and shows how light and shadow affects photos. Black and white, duotone and color photos illustrate the results of different lighting choices, offering contrasts and different images.

Studio Lighting Unplugged
Rod and Robin Deutschmann
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo NY 14226
9781608952694, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Studio Lighting Unplugged: Small Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers offers a fine survey of small flash units and their selection and applications, and is a pick for any who would better understand studio lighting and its creative manipulation. Chapters tell how to create a studio anywhere in the house and how to apply lighting techniques to different photography
endeavors. From special effects to testing new skills presented herein, this is a pick for any aspiring photographer!


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Inception and Philosophy
Thorsten Botz-Bornstein, Editor
Open Court Books
70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812697330, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

Inception and Philosophy: Ideas to Die For adds another to the Popular Culture and Philosophy series and offers a rich analysis of the film Inception. Over twenty modern philosophers probe the movie for its underlying philosophy and assessments, considering its many ideas, impact, and delivery systems. Viewers of Inception with a special interest in philosophical analysis and insights will find this a powerful link between film and philosophical ideals.

Voice and Speech Training in the New Millennium
Nancy Saklad
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
9781617740589, $19.99, www.applausebooks.com

Voice and Speech Training in the New Millennium: Conversations with Master Teachers is a fine recommendation for any student actor and collections catering to them. It offers specific tools for breathing, relaxing, and transforming results into effective acting techniques, and comes from interviews with over twenty modern vocal masters who offer their coaching techniques and proven successes. A 'must' for any actor's reference collection.

Writing the TV Drama Series, third edition
Pamela Douglas
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930586, $26.95, www.mwp.com

The third updated edition of Writing the TV Drama Series is a 'must' for any collection strong in screenwriting and creative writing, and provides a comprehensive writer's guide to the genre that ads an updated section on Procedural Dramas, new interviews with a network president and writers, adds a new chapter on 'Dramedy', and more. With all these changes keeping it up to date, Writing the TV Drama Series continues a powerful pick!


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Wolf Among the Stars
Steve White
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
9781451637540, $25.00, www.baen.com

Wolf Among the Stars presents a near-future Earth which is facing galactic intrigue and war. Captain Andrew Roark, an officer trained in war, joins with a man who opposes his rulers but wants to see change rather than devastation. They uncover a conspiracy to control Earth, the secret to overcoming the conspiracy, and find themselves immersed in a battle neither wants in this fast-paced military science fiction piece.

The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Cory Doctorow
PM Press
P.O. Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864045, $12.00, www.pmpress.org

The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow provides a fine story of a trans-human teen of the future who battles strange worlds and social mores to meet the girl of his dreams - a girl who represents a choice between true love and immortality. Included along with the story is a live transcription of his address to the 2010 World Science Fiction Convention presenting his charged case for open-source information and art, and an international Outspoken Interview skyped from around the world. Any Doctorow collection will welcome this!

The Restoration Game
Ken MacLeod
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145255, $16.00, www.pyrsf.com

The Restoration Game takes place in the realm of a virtual online game, where revolutionaries can safely meet. Lucy works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh and her project, inspired by her grandmother's folk tale, will involve not only revolutionaries and espionage but will test the boundaries of fantasy and a long-buried family secret. Any collection strong in science fiction and intrigue will find this a fast-paced winner.

A Fighting Chance
William C. Dietz
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St. New York NY 10014
9780441020720, $24.95, www.penguin.com

A Fighting Chance provides a fine novel of the Legion of the Damned and is a pick for any serious military science fiction collection. It offers a conclusion to the saga begun in prior books and tells of a universe where earth has fallen against aliens and where all left must band together in a last effort to prevent annihilation. Major Antonio Santana is called upon to head the mission against one of the alien installations, but his encounter with the planet's civil war will change the face of the entire conflict.

Inheritance
Christopher Paolini
Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375856112, $27.99, www.aaknopf.com

INHERITANCE is Book 4 in the Inheritance Cycle and while it's intended for young adult fantasy fans, it's being featured here so adults don't miss it. It concludes the Inheritance cycle so collections should have the prior books in the series to find satisfactory purchase with this conclusion. The series began eight years ago with the publication of Eragon and has achieved global fame, so INHERITANCE will reach quite a few collections and audiences, continuing the complex story of a dragon, a poor farm boy, and the fate of civilization. It's a complex, wonderful read and shouldn't be limited to young adult audiences alone!

Tomorrow's War
Ambush Alley Games
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849085311, $34.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Tomorrow's War: Science Fiction Wargaming Rules is recommended for military and science fiction shelves alike and surveys the miniatures wargame Tomorrow's War. Its focus on military conflicts hundreds of years into the future accounts for advanced robotics, anti-gravity vehicles, advanced battle suits, and more, offering insights into strategies and tactics that rely on the Force on Force rules as a basis for future engagement. This rulebook offers a detailed 'future history' and campaign system to individual battles can be keyed to the ongoing story. A 'must' for any collection involved in war games or science fiction military scenarios!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Zero Day
David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780446573016, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Zero Day introduces a new thriller centered around one combat veteran John Puller, an Army investigator who is investigating a brutal murder in Virginia when he meets a complicated small town co-investigator. What seems a small-town affair spirals into a possible conspiracy with implications for the world in a tense, riveting thriller powered by strong protagonists and a cat-and-mouse plot that just won't quit. Any collection seeing interest in Baldacci's signature thrillers will relish this!

Behind the Seams
Betty Hechtman
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425241424, $24.95, www.penguin.com

BEHIND THE SEAMS: A CROCHET MYSTERY is a special pick for needlework and mystery holdings alike, and offers a fun blend of crochet and mystery. Molly and her crochet group find a coveted spotlight moment turns into murder when coffee is served with poisoned sweetener. The crochet club must add sleuthing to their repertoire of skills but as they probe deeper into the murder, it becomes obvious the killer is set to strike again. Fine tension makes this a winner!

Mercury's Rise
Ann Parker
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale AZ 8251
9781590589618, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

MERCURY'S RISE provides a fine Silver Rush mystery set in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado in the 1800s. Here Inez travels to a summer retreat via stage coach with her friend - only to find their journey in peril when their coach mate dies. Is it a weak heart, or is it murder? It's up to Inez to investigate, uncovering spa tourism dangers and killing claims in the process. Fast action and a historical setting make for a vivid thriller suitable for any mystery reader.


The Fiction Shelf

Cemetery Girl
David Bell
New American Library
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451234674, $14.00, www.penguin.com

Cemetery Girl offers a missing person story that's gripping and evocative and tells of a girl who is kidnapped as a pre-teen, vanishing from her perfect home without a trace. The perfect couple's life dissolves as years go by, when after four years their daughter is found alive. But she's now sixteen, refuses to testify against her captor, and refuses to talk about her captivity. Her father's personal investigation into the situation will change all their lives in this gripping saga.

Four for a Quarter: Fictions
Michael Martone
University of Alabama Press
Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
1573661635, $16.50, www.uapress.ua.edu

Four for a Quarter: Fictions comes from a professor of creative writing and uses the number four to create stories of compelling and diverse plots. Four sections with each divided into four vignettes provide pieces that 'pop' with color, surreal descriptions, and striking plots that blend in 'four' forces with strong characterization. Any collection strong in literary short stories will find this a fine selection.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Ancient Alien Question
Philip Coppens
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631985, $19.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Did ancient aliens change the course of history? The new book THE ANCIENT ALIEN QUESTION: A NEW INQUIRY INTO THE EXISTENCE, EVIDENCE, AND INFLUENCE OF ANCIENT VISITORS offers proof that our ancestors were technologically advanced and that they interacted with non-humans. From a new explanation of the pyramids to crystal skulls and art depicting alien figures, this is based on new archaeological evidence and research and is a pick for any new age collection, featuring a foreword by Erich von Daniken to round out its offerings.

The Power of the Sacred Name
V. Raghavan
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781935493969, $22.95, www.worldwisdom.com

The Power of the Sacred Name: Indian Spirituality Inspired by Mantras is edited by William J. Jackson and offers analysis and insights into the practice of repeating or singing a sacred name. This practice is shared by Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and other religions and this collection of writings by an Indian scholar considers the tradition in India. Any collection strong in Indian religions and chanting will find this an involving survey.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Wicked Success in Inside Every Woman
Vickie L. Milazzo
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118100523, $21.95, www.wiley.com

Wicked Success in Inside Every Woman comes from an Inc. Top 10 Entrepreneur and considers the work and responsibilities of women in the new job market. For nearly thirty years the author has mentored thousands of women who would achieve success without the personal sacrifices business demands seem to require: WICKED SUCCESS brings her brand of personal mentoring into every reader's life and tells how to be successful without giving up your life. It's an outstanding pick for any woman who wants a better balance between work success and personal success.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Dawn of the Bunny Suicides
Andy Riley
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452104980, $12.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Dawn of the Bunny Suicides is a fine pick for any humor collection and particularly for those seeing prior enthusiasm for the other 'bunny suicide' cartoons. Black and white, dark humor drawings illustrate all the various unusual ways the cartoon bunny can meet its demise, offering a hilarious presentation for any cartoon, comics or humor holding.

Larry in Wonderland
Stephan Pastis
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449408176, $12.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

LARRY IN WONDERLAND provides a fine Pearls Before Swine cartoon collection packed with color and black and white panels from the popular strip. Duck, goat, pig, evil rat, and of course the loveable, hungry and demented crocodiles eternally after their 'zeeba' neighbor make for a hilarious collection recommended for prior fans and newcomers alike. This collection has the added benefit of providing strips even avid fans may have missed.

Never Bite Anything That Bites Back
Jim Toomey
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449407995, $12.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Never Bite Anything That Bites Back gathers nearly a year's worth of the Sherman's Lagoon column, syndicated in over 250 newspapers in 30 countries, and is a choice for any collection strong in cartoon titles. Sherman the shark and his underwater friends comment on their world, life in general, and the mysterious lives of the 'white apes' that live in the world above theirs. From Shark X-Games to anticipation of a swimmer that won't obey the 'no swimming' signs, this is a hilarious gathering of black and white and color panels.


The Gaming Shelf

Halo: The Art of Building Worlds
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857685629, $29.95, www.titanbooks.com

Halo: The Art of Building Worlds offers a fine visual celebration of the Halo alien world's art, and is a pick for both science fiction and gaming collections. It reviews some ten years of game art and traces the evolution of the Halo world and its characters. Familiarity with Halo is required, but any avid Halo gamer will consider this a 'must', packed with fine descriptions of characters to accompany the oversized, color photo presentation.


The Journalism Shelf

Deadline Artists
Jesse Angelo, John Avlon & Errol Louis, Editors
Overlook Press
141 Wooster St., New York NY 10012
9781590204290, $27.95, www.overlookpress.com

DEADLINE ARTISTS; AMERICA'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER COLUMNS offers columns from papers all over America and celebrates the print media's best column writing. Any interested in journalism will find this packed with the authors' picks of columns that inspired them as young journalists. The columns range from different topics to changing styles, are arranged by topic, and cover everything from politics and civil issues to humor, sports and local affairs. This diversity is appealing and makes DEADLINE ARTISTS a solid pick for journalism and writer's holdings alike!


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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